Teaching Mass Spectrometry For Chemists

Bring mass spectrometry into your classroom for remote or on-site learning with a training course for the expression® Compact Mass Spectrometer (CMS).

Advion offers an affordable MS teaching package that includes:

  • A compact, easy-to-use benchtop mass spectrometer for both students and researchers
  • Recorded lectures and video lab content
  • Lecture slides to share or adapt to your own teaching style

Computer Software
PLUS: Easy, student-friendly software. Select the workflow, the type of compounds, and students are on their way with just a few clicks of the mouse.

A research-grade mass spec, the expression® CMS is ideal for teaching because of its small size, ease of use, and one-click software. When class is not in session, the system is ready for research, making this a versatile choice for university labs seeking state of the art equipment paired with streamlined teaching modules.

Plate Express®: Direct Mass Analysis from TLC Plates

Provides simple, automated MS analysis in seconds, directly from TLC plates

The Plate Express® is a device that provides a simple, automated means of obtaining mass spectra directly from TLC plates, creating a technique known as TLC/MS. Combined with Advion Interchim Scientific’s expression® compact mass spectrometer (CMS) this becomes TLC/CMS. Using this technique, chemists can quickly and confidently identify products even in complex mixtures without additional sample preparation.

  • Identify spots in <1 minute
  • Avoid the risk of overloading the mass spectrometer – TLC spots contain the ideal amount of sample for mass spectrometry
  • Software controlled – spectra obtained within a few mouse clicks
  • Simplify the process of obtaining spectra – ideal for multi-user labs

iASAP Inert Atmospheric Solids Analysis Probe

For Direct Mass Analysis of Air-Sensitive Samples, Catalysts and Organometallics at the Bench With the expression® CMS

The Atmospheric Solids Analysis Probe (ASAP®) allows chemists to directly analyze liquid and solid samples by mass spectrometer without the need for sample preparation at the bench, right next to the reaction. The inert ASAP (iASAP) is a modification of this technique, allowing easy sampling of air-sensitive compounds, such as metal catalysts and organometallics, from reactions that are carried out in a glove box or Schlenk line to prevent oxidation.

The technique allows a synthetic chemist to perform real-time reaction monitoring by sampling the compound with the special iASAP probe, which is designed to provide access to a sample protected in a glovebox or Schlenk line, then transferring the sample to the CMS, while continuing to protect it in an inert environment where it is ionized by atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI). Mass Spectra are acquired in seconds.

AVANT® HPLC & (U)HPLC Chromatography Systems

Providing simple, high-performance, LC/CMS with the expression® CMS

Modular, stackable design, with many options provides custom solutions for both HPLC and UHPLC needs. From the simplest manual injection HPLC to a fully automated, streamlined UHPLC system and everything in-between, the Avant series can be configured to fit your analytical requirements and your budget.

The AVANT® (U)HPLC series is the latest in Advion’s innovative line of sample inlet devices for the expression® CMS which include:

  • Plate Express® for automated mass assays from TLC plates
  • The ASAP® direct analysis probe for solid, liquid and even air sensitive samples using iASAP
  • vAPCI for analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from head spaces, breath, and other gas samples.
  • Flow chemistry interfaces

All these techniques can be simply, simultaneously, interfaced with the CMS so that the chemist can move quickly and effortlessly between workflows.

Touch Express™ Open Port Sampling Interface

For One-Touch Mass Analysis of Solids, Liquids, Surfaces and Fibers with the expression® CMS 

The Touch Express™ Open Port Sampling Interface (OPSI), is designed for simple sampling of surfaces, solids, liquids and sample preparation tips and fibers. The novel ambient sampling technique was developed by Gary Van Berkel and Vilmos Kertesz, of Oak Ridge National Laboratory. 

Paired with the electrospray ion source of the expression® Compact Mass Spectrometer, the solvent forms a meniscus at the open port before being drawn down the inner path into the electrospray ion source of the mass spectrometer under the Venturi effect of the nebulization gas. Any soluble sample touching the port is analyzed by the mass spectrometer in just seconds. Touch Express™ OPSI offers a fast assay bench-top solution for solid, liquids, and surfaces in a small-footprint, easy-to-use system. 

Purdue University

Q: WHAT IS THE FOCUS OF YOUR LAB’S RESEARCH?

A: My research focuses on developing small molecule modulators to pharmacologically validate potential antibiotic, cancer, and chronic pain therapeutic targets.

Q: WHAT WAS YOUR PREVIOUS WORKFLOW AND SOME OF THE CHALLENGES YOU EXPERIENCED?

A: Purdue’s campus has not had easy access to walk-up mass spec instruments. To get reliable mass spec data for small molecules, one would typically have to submit a request to a central mass spec core. This was not conducive to reaction monitoring or small molecule characterization.

Q: WHY DID YOU INCORPORATE THE EXPRESSION® CMS INTO YOUR LABORATORY?

A: The university research office acknowledged this need and purchased three CMSL instruments with the Plate Express™ and ASAP® capability for walk-up mass spec at three locations on campus. This provided easy access to mass spec data to monitor reactions and characterize molecules. We have even confirmed covalent modification of a protein with a small molecule ligand using this instrument. I was so impressed with the user-friendly interface and instrument set up, that I applied for and received a grant to purchase a 4th instrument to be used in the undergraduate organic teaching lab in the course I teach. We have now incorporated this instrument into the workflow of lab modules for students to collect and analyze their own mass spec data. Something else that stuck out as a positive with Advion is that the data processing software, Data Express™, is free to download for any user. We can have our students analyze data off-site on their own computers. We look forward to incorporating this instrument into more organic lab modules and other courses.

Q: WHO WOULD YOU RECOMMEND TO PURCHASE THE EXPRESSION® CMS?

A: I recommend this instrument for both research labs and teaching labs. The ASAP® probe is especially convenient and easy to use for mass spec data.

Q: DO YOU HAVE ANY PUBLICATIONS OR PRESENTATIONS USING THE EXPRESSION® CMS?

A: Not yet, but we have one in review for my research, and another that will be written to publish the laboratory module in the Journal of Chemical Education.

Eberhard Karls University, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tübingen, Germany

 

Q: WHAT IS THE FOCUS OF YOUR LAB’S RESEARCH?

A: We are a Medicinal Chemistry laboratory with a major focus on kinase inhibitors. Within the last decade, we have developed highly potent and selective chemical probes such as Skepinone L, a specific p38 MAP kinase inhibitor suitable for in vivo use. Our strategies involve the reversible targeting of kinases via ATP-competitive type I or less competitive type II inhibitors as well as intermediate type 11/2 inhibitors. More recently, we turned towards covalent kinase targeting by addressing non-catalytic cysteines. This strategy furnished excellent probes for JNK3 and JAK3. For example, we developed FM-381, an extremely isoform-selective JAK3 inhibitor, which is now available as a high-quality probe from the Chemical Probes Portal and the chemical probes program of the Structural Genomics Consortium.

Q: WHAT WAS YOUR PREVIOUS WORK EXPERIENCE?

A: Since our work mainly relies on organic synthesis, we have an urgent need for accurate and rapid characterization of novel compounds. While our group owns two NMR spectrometers and several HPLC systems, mass spectrometry was usually done at a shared service unit, which caused additional costs and delays. Although we were also equipped with several LC-MS devices, these were routinely used for biological samples or metabolism studies, thus adapting the workflows for chemical samples was always tedious. Consequently, a more practical solution was required.

Q: WHY DID YOU INCORPORATE THE EXPRESSION CMS INTO YOUR LABORATORY?

A: As mentioned, mass spectrometry was one of the bottlenecks in our synthesis endeavors. The purchase of an LC-MS system exclusively for reaction monitoring and compound analysis would have been an option. However, especially when dealing with crude mixtures, LC-MS devices are typically quite vulnerable and require a lot of maintenance. Moreover, if you do not have a UPLC system, LC-MS runs are time-consuming, limiting the number of samples to a maximum of a few dozens a day, which is a serious problem with respect to the size of our group.

Therefore, Advion’s expression CMS in combination with the Plate Express™ TLC plate reader was the perfect solution for us. It is easy to use, quite robust, offers a high throughput, and is suitable for almost the entire mass range of our compounds. Needless to say, the device is especially suited for reaction monitoring and the rapid assignment of product fractions from column chromatography.

Q: TO WHOM WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THE EXPRESSION CMS?

A: The expression CMS/Plate Express™ couple can be recommended to Organic or Medicinal Chemistry groups in general since it seamlessly integrates into organic synthesis workflows. Due to the affordable pricing, it is also a great solution for chemists in academia. Especially laboratories with high turnover of masters students and research interns will appreciate the robustness of the system.

Advion Interchim Scientific Touch Express™ Open Port Sampling Interface (OPSI)

The Touch Express™ Open Port Sampling Interface (OPSI), is designed for simple sampling of solids, liquids and sample preparation tips and fibers. The novel ambient sampling technique was developed by Gary Van Berkel and Vilmos Kertesz, of Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Paired with the electrospray ion source of the expression® Compact Mass Spectrometer, the product incorporates a low volume, open port of continuously swept solvent, flowing directly into the electrospray ion source of the mass spectrometer.

During this webinar you will:

  • Learn how any soluble material touching the port is analyzed by the expression® Compact Mass Spectrometer in just seconds.
  • Learn how the sample technique eliminates sample preparation and provides zero carry over.
  • Find fast analysis methods for solids, liquids and sample preparation tips and fibers.

Technical University Munich, Garching, Germany

Q: WHAT IS THE FOCUS OF YOUR LAB’S RESEARCH?

A: Our group is interested in bacterial natural product chemistry, with projects ranging from the directed discovery of new natural products by genome mining and heterologous pathway expression, the elucidation of individual biocatalytic reactions by in vitro studies and the application of the respective biosynthetic enzymes in organic synthesis. This also involves significant synthetic work, for example to prepare enzyme substrates, validate natural product structure elucidation, or to realize chemo-enzymatic natural product total syntheses.

Q: WHAT WAS YOUR PREVIOUS WORK FLOW OR CHALLENGES?

A: While NMR spectroscopy is an analytical tool that is meanwhile accessible to chemical research practically at any time, making standard 1H NMR experiments available within minutes to few hours after a reaction work up, MS spectrometry can sometimes be challenging to conduct sufficiently fast to allow for an efficient work flow: MS equipment in academia is typically located in service units with relatively few machines for whole departments, often leading to waiting times of one to several days for an analysis. While MS would be the perfect tool to directly monitor the success of a chemical reaction in situ or to quickly evaluate the outcome of enzymatic transformations, above restrictions prevent this tool from being regularly and efficiently used.

Q: WHY DID YOU INCORPORATE THE EXPRESSION CMS INTO YOUR LABORATORY?

A: We integrated the expression CMS into our analytical equipment to obtain fast information on our synthetic and biocatalytic reactions, as well as on the content of whole bacterial raw extracts. While the machine is usually used for direct injections and for recording of MS spectra from TLC reaction controls using the Plate Express system, LC-MS measurements of enzymatic reaction set-ups and raw extracts are run overnight. To our surprise, even the detection of post-translational modifications on small proteins can accurately be detected with the CMS, providing us with an additional tool even for protein characterization. This now gives us fast initial MS data for all applications important to our lab, thus significantly streamlining our research work.

Q: WHO WOULD YOU RECOMMEND TO PURCHASE THE EXPRESSION CMS?

A: The expression CMS is the perfect MS system for any research laboratory involved in synthetic organic chemistry and chemical analytics of small molecules to proteins. The system is easy to use and maintain and can thus be used by many individuals. It is therefore particularly well-suited for academic research laboratories.

Mass Spectrometry for Chemists: Direct Analysis of TLC Plates, Solids and Gases

TLC/CMS, the atmospheric liquids and solids probe (ASAP), and the volatile APCI source provide direct analysis without sample preparation – even for air-sensitive compounds.

With the daily need to analyze a variety of samples, these techniques are indispensable in a busy lab.

Learn how a single instrument can be adapted to each of these sample requirements and rapidly changed to accommodate back-to-back assays. Listen to users in the field speak about the innovative sample inlets that have cut down on sample prep and streamlined their everyday work flow.

During this webinar you will:

  • Learn how the CMS offers real-time results and decision making right at the bench. This allows chemists to optimize reactions, know when to quench, and know when they have failed and to move on
  • Learn several novel sample techniques that can streamline workflow in your lab
  • Find fast analysis methods for liquids, solids and vapor-phase compounds

Hear from leaders in mass spectrometry including:

  • Dr. Jack Henion, Advion Scientific Founder
  • Matthew Turner, Experimental Officer in Mass Spectrometry, Department of Chemistry, Loughborough University
  • Tao Yongfeng, Post Doctorate, The Romo Group, Baylor University
  • Sean M. Kerwin, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Texas State University